The field of the present invention generally relates to shelters and more particularly to floating shelters.
The great outdoors is a wonderful place to be on a beautiful sunny day. There is nothing like the warmth of the sun to lift one's spirits. Too much sun on the body, however, can be detrimental. In no time at all, the sun's radiation can burn the skin. And this risk of being burned only increases when in water due to the reflection of the sun's rays against the water's surface. Knowing all about the dangers of the sun's radiation, creams and lotions are applied to block the damaging effects of the sun. In the fight to remain outdoors in the sun, umbrellas and other commonly known shading devices are also used. Most of these devices are meant to be used on land, not on water. The same can be said of commonly known shelters designed to protect an individual from the elements when the weather takes a turn for the worse. While shelters abound on land, temporary shelters on water are almost non-existent.
One attempt at a floating shading device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,690,133 issued on Nov. 25, 1997 to Bruce Capwell. The device disclosed by Capwell includes a frame having oppositely disposed longitudinal frame members and oppositely disposed transverse frame members defining a perimeter in which a user places a raft or the like. The user then has to disadvantageously crawl over, or swim under, the frame members in order to enter into the confined user area to have access to their raft. The Capwell device is particularly designed to enable the user to fall asleep while floating on their raft without having to worry about floating away from the confined user area. Due to the obstructed ingress and egress, this shading device does not appear to be suited for an active individual. Furthermore, an individual on the water looking for a temporary shelter, such as somebody in or on a small water craft, would be discouraged from using the device disclosed by Capwell due to the difficulty in entering and exiting the confined user area.
Thus, the present inventors have recognized the desirability of a floating shelter solving the aforementioned problems to further enhance the enjoyment of the great outdoors.